n this episode of the Off The Tools Podcast, Wayne Bettess and Andy Jones tackle a subject every trade business owner needs to hear right now:

rising fuel prices and why you must stop absorbing business costs yourself.

With diesel prices pushing towards and beyond £2 per litre in some areas, the cost of running vans, engineers, tools, materials, deliveries and day-to-day operations is climbing fast. But far too many tradesmen are still trying to keep customers happy by taking the hit themselves.

Wayne and Andy explain why that mindset is dangerous.

If your costs go up and your prices stay the same, your profit is the thing that disappears.

Inside this episode, we cover:

• Why rising fuel costs must be passed on to the customer

• Why absorbing extra costs damages your profit

• How one van can quietly cost thousands more per year

• Why business costs must be built into your pricing

• Why “I don’t want to upset the customer” is poor business thinking

• How job management and quoting software help lock in proper pricing

• Why every trade business should know its numbers

• Why annual price reviews are not enough in a fast-changing market

• How fuel prices affect the wider supply chain

• Why sole traders often miss the real cost of running a van

• Why being busy but underpriced still leaves you broke

• How the Off The Tools Pricing Calculator helps expose the real numbers

This episode is perfect for plumbers, heating engineers, electricians, builders, gas engineers and trade business owners who are feeling the squeeze from fuel, materials, labour, tax, insurance and running costs.

Because the truth is simple:

You are not there to subsidise your customers.

You are there to run a profitable, sustainable business.

Wayne and Andy also introduce The 90 Day Forge, the new Off The Tools programme launching in January. This is an intense 90-day programme designed to help heating business owners build stronger foundations, understand their pricing, implement systems, improve quoting, collect reviews, build better customer journeys and step properly into the role of business owner.

When fuel prices rise, material prices rise, supply chains rise and operating costs rise, your prices need to rise too.

Otherwise, you are not protecting your customers.

You are simply taking money out of your own pocket to keep everyone else comfortable.

Key Takeaway